MOVIE REVIEW – Carry-On delivers a tense airport thriller that, while engaging and entertaining, falls well short of the iconic heights set by Die Hard 2. Taron Egerton stars as an airport security officer who finds himself grappling with a deadly threat rather than festive cheer as he tries to stop a suitcase packed with Novichok nerve agent from boarding a flight. The result? A somewhat implausible but occasionally gripping Netflix drama.

It’s Christmas Eve at an airport—what could possibly go wrong? Anyone who’s ever dared to travel during the holidays can appreciate the bitter irony of that question, but perhaps no one more than Bruce Willis in Die Hard 2. While Carry-On attempts to channel a similar vein of tense, chaotic holiday drama, it ultimately falls short of achieving that same magic.

A Deadly Package on the Conveyor Belt

The titular carry-on bag isn’t your average piece of luggage; it contains enough Novichok nerve agent to wipe out an entire city. As the suitcase edges toward the security scanner, its deadly payload threatens to transform an unsuspecting flight into a catastrophic disaster if it slips through unnoticed.

The criminal masterminds behind this plan—who reject being labeled as “terrorists”—rely on an insider to execute their scheme. Enter Ethan Kopek, an unassuming low-level security officer at LAX (played by Taron Egerton). Blackmailed into cooperating, Ethan faces a devastating ultimatum: let the lethal suitcase through, or the criminals will kill his pregnant girlfriend (Sofia Carson). His predicament couldn’t be more dire—should he remain loyal to his job and principles or betray everything he holds dear to save the woman he loves?

The film’s premise is gripping and brimming with tension, although it often veers more toward nerve-wracking anxiety than genuine suspense. Viewers know Ethan can’t outmaneuver the villains too early in the story, so much of the runtime revolves around watching him squirm as he desperately searches for a way out of his increasingly precarious situation.

Ethan Channels His Inner John McClane

“Stop thinking,” barks a chilling voice in Ethan’s earpiece. The order comes from a cold-blooded mercenary, played with steely calm by Jason Bateman. His unnervingly calculated demeanor and sharp, predatory gaze keep the narrative on track, preventing it from descending into complete chaos.

Another command follows: “Do nothing.” Naturally, Ethan does the opposite. Discovering his inner John McClane, he transitions into full-on action hero mode, dashing through the terminal in a frantic bid to regain control of the situation. Though he’s already complicit in earlier collateral damage, the looming prospect of hundreds more lives lost drives him into action.

CGI Overload vs. Terminal Tension

At times, the story spirals out of control. A high-speed highway chase sequence overloaded with CGI feels needlessly excessive, bordering on ridiculous. In contrast, the airport terminal’s confined spaces and tense atmosphere are far more effective at generating genuine suspense. Director Jaume Collet-Serra (Non-Stop, The Shallows) proves once again his knack for crafting taut, claustrophobic thrills in limited settings. However, when the narrative expands to larger-scale action, it tends to lose focus and cohesion.

Danielle Deadwyler delivers a solid performance as a suspicious investigator piecing together the looming threat. While her talent shines, her character is underserved by a screenplay that sacrifices logic for pacing and spectacle. Late in the film, she’s forced to make a wildly irrational decision, seemingly to keep the airborne climax intact rather than allow her investigative acumen to thwart the villains’ plan prematurely.

Holiday Fun Without Realism

Let’s be honest—nobody comes to Carry-On expecting realism or profound storytelling. This is a film designed to fill a quiet Christmas evening on Netflix, a time when leaving the house feels like too much effort. On that front, it delivers. It’s a fast-paced, indulgent diversion—like a baked potato laden with butter and cheese: not particularly healthy, but satisfying enough when the craving hits.

-Gergely Herpai “BadSector”–